You have to go back a full decade to recall Scotland’s last international friendly win on home soil - such is the nation's rancid record in these type of fixtures. That theme continued on a dull and uninspiring evening in Mount Florida.
Ironically, back in March 2016, Denmark were the opposition - whom Scotland swatted aside to secure World Cup qualification - courtesy of an intuitive early goal from Matt Ritchie on a rain-soaked night in Mount Florida.
International friendlies were virtually discarded from the footballing calendar a few years ago to make way for the UEFA Nations League. But as Scotland gear up for this summer's fast approaching major tournament in the Americas, here we were again back at Hampden Park for a warm-up clash that took on a completely different meaning to your ordinary run-of-the-mill friendly affair.
This was quite the opposite in fact. While the performance and result wasn’t what an expectant crowd of over 44,000 were hoping for, it still served a purposeful meaning and gave head coach Steve Clarke a good indication of how his squad are shaping up for the tournament which is due to get underway in less than 80 days time.
Clarke had stressed after last year's World Cup draw that he was keen to face unfamiliar opposition from different confederations across the globe as part of his preparations in the lead up. He got his wish with Japan - ranked 19th in the FIFA world rankings - rocking up in Glasgow.
For the Tartan Army, these are exciting times. 28 years of qualification heartache, pain and anguish was finally put to bed with that unforgettable 4-2 victory over the Danes. Four months on, the squad were reunited and training in the Lesser Hampden sunshine with the newly unveiled mural of Scott McTominay's sensational overhead kick emblazoned on the side of a nearby tenement building on Somerville Drive in the background.
That will have undoubtedly evoked some special memories for the Napoli midfielder - a goal which Clarke described as the best he has ever seen. And perhaps it would act as a positive omen, a source of inspiration for the squad should they need it ahead of the biggest summer of their lives.
This group of players are already national heroes. As is Clarke. But supporters will hope that come the eagerly-awaited World Cup opener against Haiti in Boston on June 14th, lessons have been learned from previous failings at the last two European Championships.
For now, though, it was all about building some momentum to carry forward into the summer. Could Scotland break their strange friendly curse against a formidable Japanese side that had lost just five of their 39 fixtures since the previous 2022 World Cup in Qatar and scored a whopping 51 goals in their 16 games across the two group stages of Asian qualifying.
Clarke's side were anticipating an extremely tough test against opposition boasting such a record. The former Kilmarnock boss admitted in his pre-match media conference on Friday that his team selection would raise a few eyebrows and surprise a few people.
And true to his word, the team he selected was one that very few would have predicted. There were opportunities for several fringe members of his squad, including in-form Middlesbrough striker Tommy Conway and a welcome return to the starting XI for Everton's Nathan Patterson for the first time since March 2024.
The Scots were winless in three previous meetings with Samurai Blue, having failed to score in each of those games. However, based on the early exchanges here, that record looked set to come to an end.
John McGinn carved out the game’s first opportunity after eight minutes, reaching the by-line before clipping a delightful ball across the penalty area where McTominay was lurking. But he was left flabbergasted after Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki somehow managed to push his effort onto the post before the ball was scrambled away to safety.
Japan were technically astute and knocking the ball around with more purpose. Yet Angus Gunn had been a mere spectator until finally being called into action after 28 minutes. Kodai Sano broke forward into space but his long-range strike lacked the necessary power to trouble the Nottingham Forest shot-stopper.
The hosts may have been quick out of the blocks, but they were struggling to pose much of a threat in the final third as the first-half wore on. Instead, it was the Japanese who looked more likely to find the breakthrough.
Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka had a shot from 20 yards which glanced off the top of the crossbar before Yuito Suzuki’s low piledriver minutes later ended up safely in Gunn’s grasp.
This was a far cry from the last time Scotland were in Mount Florida. Having set the ‘Old Lady’ ablaze in November, this was developing into a damp squib. While the visitors made three changes at half-time, Clarke opted to stick with the same eleven.
The Scots enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure early in the second half. McTominay tried his best to take the game by the scruff of the neck, winning his team a free-kick roughly 25 yards from goal. He dusted himself down and whipped a dipping effort over the wall, forcing Suzuki to take evasive action by pushing the ball over his crossbar for a corner.
Kenny McLean was next to threaten with a curling shot which was tipped away by the keeper before a flurry of substitutions from either side disrupted the rhythm of the match.
The visitors gradually began to assert their dominance by creating a several opportunities before the national stadium was silenced as substitute Junya Ito conjured up a late 84th-minute winner.
The Genk forward burst into the box from the left-hand side after a slick passing move, with his low drive nestling in the bottom corner of the net despite Gunn’s best efforts to keep it out.
You could hear a pin drop inside Hampden as fans flooded for the exits. Next up for the Clarke’s side, a clash against Ivory Coast on Tuesday night at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
